Gutter shield

ABSTRACT

A gutter shield for protecting a gutter from the gutter shield having a mounting member secured to the gutter, a guard member with an elongated configuration and having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough to permit water drainage into the gutter, the mounting member also having a flexible sealing element extending outwardly therefrom, the flexible ceiling element being designed to seal against either the side of the gutter or a structural element. The device is suitable for many different sizes of gutters.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a shield for a rainwater gutterassembly or a eaves trough.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The use of shields for gutters or eaves troughs is well known inthe prior art and there have been many proposals for different types ofshields. The purpose of the shield is essentially to permit passage ofrainwater from the roof to the eaves trough while protecting the samefrom extraneous foreign matter such as leaves and the like.

[0003] To date, there have been several different approaches taken. Afirst approach is utilizing a shield or a guard which is apertured andpermits the passage of rainwater while ostensibly barring the passage ofextraneous material. However, many of these guards do not function asdesired and access must still be had to the eaves trough for cleaningpurposes. Also, each one must be fabricated to the particular size ofeaves trough.

[0004] It has also been proposed in the art to provide relativelycomplex structures wherein the eaves troughs are mounted for rotatablemovement such that they may be emptied at desired intervals.

[0005] There have also been proposed gutters having a design wherein acover has an outer edge which curls downwardly and the water flowfollows the curved portion due to surface tension to cascade into theeaves trough. However, this concept will not necessarily work when thevolume of water becomes sufficiently large that the surface tension isinsufficient to cause all the water to flow into the gutter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a novelgutter guard which is designed to fit different sizes of eaves troughs.

[0007] It is a further object of the present invention to provide agutter guard for an eaves trough forwarding the rainwater into thegutter, but wherein virtually all foreign matter is excluded.

[0008] It is a further object of the present invention to provide agutter guard for an eaves trough wherein the gutter guard includes aflexible member design to sealingly abut an adjacent structure.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a device for protecting a gutter wherein the gutter has a rearwall, a front wall, a bottom wall, the walls defining a troughtherebetween, the device comprising a mounting member, means forsecuring the mounting member to the gutter, a guard member having anelongated configuration with first and second longitudinally extendingpost sides, a first side of the guard member being engageable with afirst side of the mounting member to prevent substantial verticalmovement of the guard member, the mounting member having a flexiblesealing portion extending outwardly in a direction away from the firstside of the mounting member for sealing engagement with an adjacentstructure, and the guard member having a substantially planar portionbetween the first and second sides, the substantially planar portionhaving a plurality of apertures extending therethrough.

[0010] The device of the present invention is preferably, at leastpartially, formed of a plastic material. However, it will be understoodthat other materials may be used and indeed, the gutter guard may beformed by a combination of materials.

[0011] The device of the present invention provides a guard for theeaves trough to prevent foreign matter from entering into the eavestrough. This is achieved through appropriate sizing of the aperturesformed therein. In this respect, the aperture size and apertureplacement permit adequate drainage of the water through the aperturesinto the eaves trough while substantially excluding any foreign matterwhich rained on the top and which normally will be removed by theelements of wind and the like. The size of the apertures preventsclogging of the device.

[0012] The apertures preferably extend in diagonal lines at an angle of45° with respect to the gutter length. In the preferred embodiments, theapertures have an aperture of between 2.5 and 10 mm and even morepreferably between 3.0 and 4.0 mm. As the apertures are arranged indiagonal rows, they are also preferably arranged in longitudinallyextending rows. In a longitudinally extending row, the apertures arespaced apart by a distance of between 10 and 15 mm while in a diagonalrow, they are spaced apart by a distance of between 5 and 10 mm.

[0013] As will be appreciated, during a period of heavy rain or thelike, the drainage may not be instantaneous and accordingly, there ispreferably provided a vertically extending wall adjacent the front wallof the gutter to prevent overflow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Having thus generally described the invention, reference will bemade to the accompanying drawings illustrating an embodiment thereof, inwhich:

[0015]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an eaves trough andsurrounding structure having the gutter guard of the present inventionsecured in place;

[0016]FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view thereof;

[0017]FIG. 2a is a cross sectional view of a modified arrangement;

[0018]FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the gutter guard; and

[0019]FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a clip member which may be used inthe present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Referring to the drawings in greater detail and by referencecharacters thereto, it is illustrated a gutter generally designated byreference numeral 10 and which is attached to a roof generallydesignated by reference numeral 12. As is conventional, there isprovided a drip edge 14 extending from under the edge of the roof.

[0021] Gutter 10 is a conventional gutter and includes a back wall 16lying substantially adjacent to the facia of the structure. Extendingbetween a front wall 20 and back wall 16 is a bottom 18. Front wall 20includes a front top wall 22 which extends horizontally inwardly andwhich is folded under to present a finished edge as is conventional.Gutter 10 is secured by means of nails 24 which pass through an internalshroud 26, again as is well known in the art.

[0022] The device of the present invention includes a mounting membergenerally designated by reference numeral 30 and which will now bereferred to. Mounting member 30 has a base 32 which extends through toan end wall 34. In turn, end wall 34 merges with a top wall 36 whichterminates in a downwardly extending flange 38. A recess 40 is definedbetween flange 38 and walls 32, 34 and 36. A flexible sealing member 42extends outwardly to seal against drip edge 14.

[0023] The device also includes a second member 44 which includes a mainplanar body portion 46 which has a plurality of apertures 48 formedtherein. Apertures 48, as may be seen, extend in diagonal lines at anangle of 45 degrees with respect to the length of the body 46. For abest functioning of the device, the sizing and placement of theapertures is important. The apertures preferably have a diameter ofbetween 2.5 and 10 mm and more preferably between 3.0 and 4.0 mm. Also,the spacing is preferably such that in a longitudinally extending row,the apertures are spaced between 10 and 15 mm apart with a spacing ofbetween 5 and 10 mm in a diagonal row. It has been found that thesespacings and sizes of apertures permit water to flow into the gutterwhile the sizes are such that substantially all foreign matter isexcluded.

[0024] The second member 44 includes a flange 50 which extends inwardlyalong one side of body 46 for reasons which will become apparenthereinbelow. Flange 50, together with body portion 46, defines aV-shaped configuration.

[0025] At its other side, body 46 has a vertical inner wall 52 which isradiused to join a vertical outer wall 54. A horizontal portion 56extends outwardly from vertical outer wall 54 and terminates in areverse edge.

[0026] In use, first member 30 is secured adjacent rear wall 16 ofgutter 10. To this end, there are provided clip members 66 which aresecured to the underside of wall 32 of first member 30. In oneembodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, each clip member 66 comprises a pair ofinwardly facing C-shaped elements 68 defining an opening 70therebetween. These are then mounted on shroud 26 surrounding a nail 24.

[0027] As may be seen in FIG. 4, the end of body 46 having flange 50 maybe inserted into the cavity 40. Flange 50 will prevent withdrawal ofsecond member 44.

[0028] Vertical inner side wall 52 forms a barrier to prevent overflowof the rainwater from the surface of body portion 46.

[0029] As seen in FIG. 2a, flexible sealing member 42 may seal againstthe wall to which the gutter is mounted or indeed to the gutter itself.It is the flexibility of sealing member 42 which allows adjustment ofthe gutter guard to fit different size gutters.

[0030] It will be understood that the above described embodiment is forpurposes of illustration only and that changes or modifications may bemade thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

I claim:
 1. A device for protecting a gutter wherein the gutter has a rear wall, a front wall, a bottom wall, said walls defining a trough therebetween, said device comprising: a mounting member, means for securing said mounting member to said gutter; a guard member having an elongated configuration with first and second longitudinally extending post sides; a first side of said guard member being engageable with a first side of said mounting member to prevent substantial vertical movement of said guard member; said mounting member having a flexible sealing portion extending outwardly in a direction away from said first side of said mounting member for sealing engagement with an adjacent structure; and said guard member having a substantially planar portion between said first and second sides, said substantially planar portion having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said means for securing said mounting member to said gutter comprises a securing member designed to be attached to a gutter retaining member extending between said rear side wall and said front wall.
 3. The device of claim 2 wherein said apertures are arranged in diagonal rows extending between said rear side wall and said front wall.
 4. The device of claim 2 wherein said apertures are circular in configuration, said apertures having a diameter of between 2.5 and 10 mm.
 5. The device of claim 4 wherein said apertures have a diameter of between 3.0 and 4.0 mm.
 6. The device of claim 4 wherein said diagonal rows extend at an angle of 45° with respect to said first and second side walls, said apertures forming longitudinally extending rows, said apertures being spaced apart by a distance of between 10 and 15 mm in said longitudinally extending rows.
 7. The device of claim 6 wherein said apertures are spaced apart by between 5 and 10 mm in each diagonal row.
 8. The device of claim 2 wherein said mounting member has a recess facing said first side of said guard member whereby said first side of said guard member is insertable into said recess and is moveable therein.
 9. The device of claim 8 wherein said mounting member has means for retaining said first side of said guard member in said recess.
 10. The device of claim 9 wherein said means for retaining said first side comprises a V-shaped member formed within said recess and a cooperating V-shaped member formed on said one side of said guard member.
 11. The device of claim 2 wherein said guard member has a vertically extending side wall adjacent said second side thereof. 